Homeward, the thirteenth film of our 77th season achieved an overall appreciation score of 73%. Many members found this compelling and moving while some found the film too bleak and slow. Some of the comments submitted:
- Not an easy watch at times but brings home what people have gone through in the past and are going through today. Humbling in many ways.
- A compelling story of how a somewhat dysfunctional family come together when tragedy strikes. Loyalty to family, religion and homeland entwine to make a captivating scene played out by very capable actors. How tough life can be and how salutary it can be to have some, albeit small, insight. So glad I came.
- A gripping exploration of a father son relationship, a different culture coming up against the 21st century expectations of the surviving son, and the grief and sorrow that is all the more poignant at the moment.
- Beautiful bleak wide-screen landscapes and the tensions and evolving bond between father and son subtly conveyed. A most unusual father/son road trip as we begin to understand their different perspectives.
- A very gripping film with very well acted, believable and complex characters. A little difficult to follow the complexities of the border arrangements but a moving story that was one of the best films this season.
- Found it very powerful and I didn’t know much about the Tatars and their situation before this.
- The highest compliment awarded to a film is “it felt real”, Homeward certainly felt real in all its aspects. Gritty and disturbing it dealt with serious issues associated with Muslim beliefs impacted by war, borders and circumstances.
- A relentlessly sad film about the ongoing plight of Tatars & the Crimea. Adding further complexity to war torn Ukraine. Our refugees at home wisely declined to see the film knowing its bleak subject matter.
- I liked the film but you needed to read the intro sheet to be aware of what was happening.
- An interesting film. The content was quite thin, in particular shoots were too long with sequences with little happening. The subtitles did not indicate which language was being spoken, Crimean Tatar, Ukrainian or Russian.
- It was a moving film that brought to the fore war, religion and relationships. It was interesting to watch the dynamic between father and son change and develop throughout the journey, with the son eventually taking the lead to fulfil his father’s desire to bring his eldest son’s body back to Crimea. The sons’ estrangement from their father set the scene at the beginning of the journey and illuminated their differences in their respective life choices and religious beliefs. I thought this was a powerful depiction of their polarity, especially in the flat, and this continued throughout. It was slow at times, but the ending really nailed what their journey had achieved. Thanks for showing it.
- A thoughtful and poignant film which helped to highlight the turbulent history of those in the region. Some of the events seemed unnecessary for the development and the ending was a little bewildering…where did that beach lead to?? Overall though, the film raised many questions alongside the opportunity to experience the landscape and scenery. Thanks for choosing.
- An insight into the life of a Ukrainian Tatar family with an authentic, unvarnished, portrayal by the central character. The ending was perhaps a little too depressing and downbeat.
- It was very thought provoking. I had to look up some history of Crimean Tatars for context, however I downgraded good to fair due to the derogatory depiction of women in the film.
- I found this film quite difficult – not least because there wasn’t a single scene softened by humour or simple affection because even family sensibilities were desperately troubled. Of course some family lives are full of difficulty, and especially the Tatars of Crimea. It was well made, however, and the landscape lovely to observe.
- It lacked substance seemed a bit cobbled together and the father seemed to create all the problems.
- What should have been powerful and moving, somehow left you detached.
- Pretty bleak (kind of to be expected). Quite slow and not exactly captivating.